Wet Prep Workshops

The Denver PTC's Wet Prep Workshops

Few providers receive formal training on the proper techinique for performing Wet Prep microscopy to diagnose vaginal infections. In this skills-building workshop, participants will work with a microscope to practice proper equipment set-up, recommended slide preparation and scanning techniques and correct identification of elements found in vaginal secretions. Both normal and abnormal clinical specimens will be reviewed and reported by participants.

Who Should Attend:

This workshop is designed for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, physicians and physician assistants performing vaginal wet preps. While the course is designed for direct care providers with limited microscopy experience, laboratorians are welcome to apply. The workshop will benefit anyone who desires a thorough review of basic wet prep techniques.

Learning Objectives:After completing this module, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the proper collection and handling of specimens for saline/KOH wet prep.2. Identify each of the following in a saline/KOH wet prep: epithelial cells, motile trichomonas, yeast pseudohyphae, yeast buds, bacteria, red and white blood cells, clue cells and artifacts.3. Demonstrate proper set up of the microscope for wet prep microscopy.4. Demonstrate the proper microscopic technique to scan slides and describe the findings using semi-quantitative descriptions.

A member of the National Network of STD/HIV Prevention Training Centers. Denver PTC is a program of Denver Public Health, a department of Denver Health and Hospital Authority. This Website was supported by Cooperative Agreement #5U62PS003282 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.